Intermittent-motion mechanism.



A. NIEHLFELDER.

INTERMITTENT'MOTION MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 26. I9I4.

1,205,772. Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I ,'IIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIII ca/.9M

ANTON MEHLFEIJDER, OF'NEW YORK, N.4 Y., ASSIGNOE-TG FFCF.

ELIZABETH MnHLrnLnnn UEBELME'ssER, or simenon,` Lone ISLAND.

IN TERMITTEN ill-MOTION, MECHANISM.

Lacrime.

Specification Lett-ers Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 19.16.

Applieationled January 26, 1914. Serial No. 814,329.

To all 11i/0m it may concern :y

Be it known that I, ANTON MEHLFELDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Intermittent-Motion Mechanism, of which the following is. a clear, full, and exact description.

This invention relates to a device for transforming a rotary into an intermittent or step-by-step movement.

The device can be used for any purpose where an intermittent movement is desired, but is particularly intended for motion picture devices.

The object of this device is, as has been stated, to obtain a step-by-step movement by means of a mechanism adapted to perform such a function positively, that is to say, with certainty, by means of a minimum number of parts.

In the drawings: Figure lis a top plan view of an embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2 is a section thereof taken on a line 2-2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the adjustably mounted rotatable cam. Fig. 4 is a detail elevation of the slides operated by the cam. Fig. 5 is an end view thereof. Fig. 6 is a top plan view. Fig. 7 is a sectional plan, the section being taken on a line 7-7 in Fig. 4. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail elevation of the cam. Figs. 9, 10 and 11 are diagrammatic viewsl illustrating the operation of the slides to produce the step-by-step motion.

As herein embodied, the device for illustrative purposes is mounted on a framework 1, and consists mainly of a driving shaft 2 and a driven` or counter shaft 3, having interposed therebetween, or connecting the same, a combination of elements designed to transform the constant rotary movement of the shaft 2 into an intermittent or step-by-step movement, the said transformed movement being imparted to the shaft 3. The shaft 2 may be the controlling shaft or operating device of a motion picture machine, or other apparatus, and the shaft 3 the iilm operating shaft. As herein illustrated, the shaft 2 is provided with a sprocket gear 4, for rotating the same, carrying a sprocket chain 5, and the shaft 3 with a gear 6 for imparting the step-by-step movement to other devices not herein shown.

The device which transforms the rotary movement intok a step-by-step movement consists of a cam disk 7 driven by the shaft 2, the4 said cam being carried by ashaftk 8 rotatably supported by a bushing 9 adjustably7 supported by a bracket 10 which is in turn pivotally supported by the framework 1. In this instance the bushing 9 is threaded into the bracket 10, as at 11, the said bracket being split as at 12 and provided with a binding screw 13 to secure the bushing 9 in an adjusted position. The function of the cam disk 7 is to cause the slides 14 and 15, carried by the plate 16, tovoperate b y means of cam surfaces 17 and 18, Fig. 8, the plate 16 being supported by the frame work 10. The slides 14 and are provided with rollers 19,-19 and 20-2O respectively which bear against the cam surfaces of the disk 7 as shown in Fig. 8. The slide 14 is adapted for vertical movement in the guide-way 2l, and the slide 15 for horizontal movement in the guide-way 22, (see Figs. 4, 6 and 7 The function of the slides 14 and 15 is to operate a linger 23 adapted to take into openings 27a of a disk 26 carried by the shaft 3. As has been stated, the bracket 10 is pivotally mounted on the frame work 1, and may be swung upwardly or downwardly, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3 for a purpose to be described; for this reason the shafts 2 and 8 are universally connected as at 23a, Fig. 2, the said universal connection consisting of a pin 24, in the shaft 2, operating in a slot 25 in the shaft 8. The shaft 3 is provided with a plate 26 provided with openings 27 to receive the pin 23, Fig. 3. In this instance the plate 26 is hexagonal, the fiat surfaces 28 of which bear against the flange 29 of the cam disk 7, excepting when the plate 26 is operated, at which time the opening 30 in the flange 29 will register with said plate and allow it to be partly rotated. The flange`29 holds the plate 26 firmly against vibration during the periods of rest of said plate. By referring to Fig. 7 it will be seen that the finger 23 is mounted on the slide 15 and is connected to the slide 14 by apin 3l, the said pin taking into a block 32, which slide transversely of the slide 14 in a gear 33 cut in a block 32 carried by the said slide 14. The finger 23 is carried by an arm 34 pivotally secured to the slide 14. The action of the slide 14 will rotate the arm or swing it upwardly and downwardly; the action of the slide 15 forces the pin into an alined opening 27a in the plate 26 and withdraws the finger after the plate 26 has been operated.

The aption of imparting a step-by-step movement to the shaft 3 is as follows: The slide 14 is first moved upwardly by the rotating cam disk 7 (see dotted lines 5, Fig. 9) which movement rocks the arm 34, causing the finger 23 to aline with the opening 27a, for instance (Fig. 3). At the completion of the upward movement of the slide 14 the finger 23 is forced into the alined opening by the forward movement of the slide 15, (see dotted lines Fig. 10). After the finger has been forced into the opening the slide 14 will move down (see dotted lines Fig. 11), rocking the arm 34 and causing the plate 26 to partly rotate; at the completion of the down stroke of the slide 14 the slide 15 will move back and the finger 23 will be withdrawn, after which the slide 14 moves up again and the operation repeats. During the time that the slide 14 is moving up the shaft 3 will be at rest; hence the intermittent movement on the part of the shaft 3. lt will of course be understood that the cam will be shaped to produce the proper movement on the part of the slides, the shape being herein approximately illustrated. While the slide 14 is moving upwardly or downwardly the slide 15 will be at rest, and while the slide 15 is in operation the slide 14 is at rest; in other words the two slides do not operate simultaneously. To adjust the disk with respect to the plate 26, the threaded bushing 9 will be operated.

The function of the pivotally mounted bracket 10 is to advance or retract the rotation of the shaft 3; that is to say, to rotate the shaft in the direction of its rotation, or to rotate it oppositely to the direction of its rotation. As the flat surfaces 28 of the plate 26 are normally in contact with the flange 29, the shaft 3 will be advanced in the direction of its rotation, when the bracket 10 is swung upwardly, as per dotted lines (Fig. 3) or retracted when the bracket is moved downwardly. For motion picture Copies of this machines this feature is valuable as the pictures can be framed relative to the aperture plate in the kinetoscope. The universal connection 23L permits the bracket 10 to be moved as above described without interfering with the rotation of the cam.

I claim as my invention:

1. A mechanical movement consisting of a shaft for constant rotation, a cam on said shaft, slide plates operated by the cam, an intermittently rotated member adjacent thereto having holes in its face adapted to be engaged by the slide members actua-ted by the continuously rotated cam for the purpose of imparting an intermittent motion from one to the other.

2. An intermittent motion mechanism consisting of a continuously rotating cam, an intermittent member adjacent thereto, slide members interposed between the said cam and intermittent member adapted to transmit intermittent motion from the continuously rotating cam to the intermittent moving member having' holes in its annular surface.

3. An intermittent motion mechanism, consisting of a cam continuously rotated, an intermittent member having, a plurality of holes on its surface, coperating sliding members mounted in a shiftable frame to impart an intermittent motion to the intermittent member, said sliding members and their frame adapted to be shifted without interfering with the relative motion of the intermittent motion mechanism.

4. A mechanical movement consisting of a main shaft, a counter shaft, means operable by the main shaft adapted to operate said counter shaft at intervals, and means to move said counter shaft in the direction of its rotation, or opposite to the direction of its rotation, independently of the rotation of the main shaft.

Signed at New York city, New York, this 15th day of January 1914.

ANTON MEHLFELDER.

Witnesses: Y

E. H. MoCoLLocH, MICHAEL SEGEL.

Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

